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US says border agents patrolling river shot at from Mexico

Posted at 7:23 PM, Aug 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-09 19:28:59-04

FRONTON, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol says gunmen from the Mexican side shot at agents patrolling the Rio Grande.

No agents were injured. But the agency says automatic weapons gunfire damaged one of its boats.

Agents on board estimated at least 50 rounds were fired by four gunmen around 2:30 a.m. Friday near the South Texas city of Fronton. A Border Patrol spokesman couldn’t immediately say whether the agents returned fire.

Mexico’s foreign relations ministry tweeted it would cooperate with U.S. authorities to identify those responsible.

The Rio Grande separates the U.S. and Mexico in Texas. Border agents and Texas authorities routinely patrol the river and sometimes rescue migrants trying to cross.

Gangs dominate the region across the river from South Texas. U.S. authorities have forced thousands of asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico, citing capacity issues.